The dish is simple to make and can be eaten on the go (Source: tinmoi.vn)

B:  It sounds great. This beautiful and delicious dish makes me very curious to know how it is made. Let’s ask Ms Nguyen Quynh Hoa, who sells Rice Pyramid dumplings in Ba Trieu street to elaborate on how to prepare the filling. “The minced pork, chopped black mushroom, wood ear mushroom, and chopped shallot are put in a large bowl and seasoned with salt, white sugar, fish sauce, and black pepper. The meat should be minced by hand to keep it juicy and tasty. Stir-fry the mixture on high heat until it turns yellow. I chop more black mushrooms than usual to add extra flavor to the filling.”

You can eat the dumplings with soy sauce or chili sauce. Some eat them with fish sauce or enjoy them plain (Source: vietbao.vn)

B: Wow, A. The filling is perfect. I don’t think we need to cook anything else.

A: Are you kidding me?

B: Ok, ok. Just joking. But why did we start with the filling? Why didn’t we make the dough first?

 A:  Good question. Since the filling can be kept in the fridge 1 day before using, Vietnamese cooks often start with the filling, then prepare the banana leaf, and finally, the dough.   

B: I got it.  Here I come. The banana leaves are ready. I’ve cut the leaves into 10-inch square pieces and soaked each piece in boiling water to soften it. I think we could start the dough now.

A: Oh, Wow, B. You really amaze me. Now, dissolve some ordinary rice flour in pork or chicken broth. Cook at a high temperature while stirring crazily. When the starch is cooked, it sticks to the bottom of the pot. But don’t worry, just lower the heat and keep on stirring until the dough turns lumpy. Ok, the dough is ready now. Let’s start wrapping the dumplings.

B: Fold a piece of banana leave into a cone shape. Add a layer of dough.  Use a small spoon to make a hole in the center of the dough.  Add a spoonful of filling, and cover the filling with another layer of dough.  Fold in all four sides. Steam the wrapped dumplings for 20 minutes before serving. And now, Ms Hoa elaborates on how to serve the banh gio.“After steaming, the dumplings are kept warm and steamed again before serving. We use a large, special steamer pot to heat the dumplings. These dumplings are best when eaten fresh from the steamer, when they are soft and hot. Customers can feel the heat of the dumplings to the last bite.”

These dumplings are best when eaten fresh from the steamer, when they are soft and hot. (Source: vietpress.vn)

 B: You can eat the dumplings with soy sauce or chili sauce. Some eat them with fish sauce or enjoy them plain. The steamed rice pyramid dumplings can be stored up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or even a few months in the freezer.

A: Imagine we’re sitting at a tiny food stall, enjoying hot rice pyramid dumplings on a cold winter day. What a glorious experience that would be. Good bye. We hope you will join is on the next edition of VOV 24/7’s Food delight.